System for Utilizing Genetic Algorithm to Provide Constraint-Based Routing of Packets in a Communication Network

1. A system for assigning flows to paths in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being connected to at least one other node by at least one link, each path in the communication network comprising a sequence of the nodes and links for a particular flow, the path starting with a source node and ending with a destination node, the system comprising: a path generator, wherein the path generator designates flow-to-path assignments in the communication network by using a genetic algorithm, wherein the genetic algorithm determines a fitness of a genotype from a plurality of constraint fitness functions, wherein the fitness is determined by using a genotype fitness function that is calculated as a weighted sum of the plurality of constraint fitness functions, wherein a coefficient is used to adjust a relative importance of each of the plurality of constraint fitness functions; and an output interface, the output interface for communicating the flow-to-path assignments designated by the path generator to the communication network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the path generator comprises a web interface.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the path generator is configured to process a user request to create and manage a task.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a description.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a selection of a network model.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a selection of flow requirements.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a selection of policy constraints.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a selection of performance measurements and traffic measurements.

9. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a selection of a genetic algorithm.

10. The system of claim 3 , wherein the task includes a specification of an output report.

11. The system of claim 3 , wherein the path generator is further configured to enable the user to start and stop the task.

12. The system of claim 3 , wherein the path generator is further configured to provide intermediate flow-to-path assignments calculated by the task to the user for viewing.

13. The system of claim 3 , wherein the path generator is further configured to enable the user to define network models.

14. The system of claim 5 , wherein the network model is obtained from a dynamic routing protocol.

15. The system of claim 5 , wherein the network model is obtained by reading configuration data from the nodes.

16. The system of claim 5 , wherein the network model includes the nodes and definitions of attributes associated with the nodes including maximum packets received per second.

17. The system of claim 5 , wherein the network model includes the links and definitions of attributes associated with the links including a bandwidth.

18. The system of claim 6 , wherein the flow requirements are defined by a peak bandwidth.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the genetic algorithm generates a random set of genotypes which are evaluated using a genotype fitness function.

20. A method of assigning flows to paths in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of nodes, each node being connected to at least one other node by at least one link, each path in the communication network comprising a sequence of network nodes and links for a particular flow, the path starting with a source node and ending with a destination node, the method comprising: providing a path generator with data from the communication network that pertains to at least one flow, wherein the path generator designates flow-to-path assignments in the communications network by using a genetic algorithm, wherein the genetic algorithm determines a fitness of a genotype from a plurality of constraint fitness functions, wherein the fitness is determined by using a genotype fitness function that is calculated as a weighted sum of the plurality of constraint fitness functions, wherein a coefficient is used to adjust a relative importance of each of the plurality of constraint fitness functions; and communicating the flow-to-path assignments designated by the path generator to the communication network via an output interface.